Param Guruji,
Namaskar,
God bless you for your yeomen service to educate us lay rasikas in the intricaices of laya with particular reference to mridhangam.
And regards to your father Sri kalyanakrishnan, for his unstinted cooperation in this Cyber Laya Vidyalaya venture.

Param,
I never got round as to when I should start my song after tani. I always ask the Mirdangist to give me a secret sign for me to sing.
Iam holding my breath for you to enlighten me in this aspect...

For decades I used to be thrilled at the prospect of identifying the exact moment the violinist (in a concert) would reach out for his violin at the end of the thani.(I could never bear the suspense).

I always ask the Mirdangist to give me a secret sign for me to sing.

LOL.

Me too. And it is all going to be unravelled in a couple of days by Param. Too bad, the magic is going to be gone...

It is interesting that a standard for the ending portion of the Thani has developed among the performers. An uncle ( the family friend type ) used to make up fanciful stories as to how all that happens and it was like Santa Claus when I learnt it is lot more mundane ( though I still do not know the exact details which Param is going to explain to us).

Is the tiltle mamoondi connected to the great mamoondi pillai the inventor of the kajira and guru of palani subramania pillai?

param, coolji and others

there is a three part analysis and explanation of palani's style of playing in his website including the thani avarthanam and when the vocalist actually joins the mridnagist back after the thani. I have already downloaded the same - it is nearly about 90 minutes ( all three put together). it is available at http://www.vidvan.com/musician/palani/index.htm